Scott & Penelope VIII: Do You Mind?
by n5d25d90
Summary: Billy and Mandy X Mind Control with Derren Brown X Final Fantasy crossover. How is that possible, you ask? Well, read it and find out!
1. Chapter 1

Here's a super-mega-macho-mega crossover just for YOU!

I'm still puting this under Grim and Evil, but if anyone does have a problem with it (which if you would you probably have no life) I will see if I can put it some place else. Otherwise, shut up and make due.

The songs from Final Fantasy VI (which by the way are AWESOME!) have inspired me for a lot of this, so I'm going to put a little imagination in your heads of the music (that either inspired me to write that part or that I think just fits the situation) playing in the background. If you don't know what song is being played or you've never even played FF VI, just imagine some music in the background or just don't pay attention at all to the song names.

I own Scott and Penelope. Maxwell Atoms owns The Grim Adventures of Billy and Mandy. The "music" is from Final Fantasy VI. Derren Brown is an actual guy. When other characters from other shows start showing up, I'll disclaim them.

-1-

**Song: The Magic House**

Grim entered Billy and Mandy's bedroom to do some spring cleaning when he noticed that Mandy was still asleep in the bed. He looked at the clock. 9:30 A.M. on a Monday?

Reluctantly, Grim shook her. "Mandy? Are you okay?"

Mandy slowly stirred. "Huh? Oh. Hey Grim. Spring cleaning?"

"Why aren't you at work?"

Mandy wiped her eyes. "Didn't I tell you? I'm on vacation."

"Dat was dis week?"

"Yep."

"Huh…So…How are ya gonna spend it?"

"The way I am now."

Grim shook his skull. "Ya gotta do somet'ing, mon. Who knows when you'll have a chance to go places again?"

Mandy sighed as she got up. "It's supposed to be a vacation. Aren't you supposed to relax on a vacation?" she mumbled, but she did her morning rituals anyway.

-X-

**Song: What?**

Scott, Penelope, and Grim were eagerly awaiting Mandy as she entered the living room. "Okay, what did you have in mind for my…vacation…"

Scott answered first. "I want to go to England."

Penelope answered second. "I want to go to Japan!"

Grim answered last. "And I have an appointment in Mexico, so we better go der eventually."

Suddenly, the front door opened and Billy entered. "Hey, honeys! I's home!"

"…You're home early," Mandy said, though not surprised. "Waaaaay early."

"Yeah, I got fired again. That's what happens when you pick your nose while making a salad…and you sneeze on it…and you fart in front of the customer…"

"Well, now dat we're all here, I guess we can go on dat vacation," Grim said, opening a portal. "First up: England!"

-X-

**Song: Strago's Theme**

A man in a suit stopped a bald man on a busy sidewalk in London.

"Pardon me, sir, if I may ask, where is the nearest general store?"

"Uh…there should be one down the block."

"Down the block here?"

"Yes. It's…um…" He looked down the street. "Um…there's one about three blocks down on the left," he said as he pointed in that direction.

"Thank you, my good man. Say, may I have your wallet and house keys for a moment?"

"Uh…okay." The bald man reached into his pocket and gave the suited man his keys and wallet.

"Thank you. Cheers," the man in the suit said as he walked off.

The bald man started walking away before realizing something. "That doesn't seem right," he said to himself. He walked back to the man in the suit. "You stole my possessions!"

"No, sir, I did not. You gave them to me. But…since I now feel dreadful, I'll give you back your things and I'll even give you five pounds for your troubles." He gave the man back his keys and wallet. Then he reached into his pocket and gave the man a blank piece of paper. "Cheers," he said once more before leaving.

When the bald man realized he was given a blank piece of paper, the man in the suit was gone.

-X-

**Song: What?**

Meanwhile, an innocent woman was being scarred for life. She was just entering a public restroom when she saw a flash of green light in one of the stalls. A family of four exited the stall, along with a walking skeleton.

"Good Lord!" the woman gasped after the five left the restroom. "Why were there men in the bloody ladies' room?!"

-X-

**Song: Slam Shuffle**

"Grim, why did we appear in a bathroom stall?" Mandy asked, annoyed. They were now outside.

"Hey, I don' have dat much control of me scythe! I'm like da guy from de X-Men sequel dat doesn't know where he teleportin' if he can't see where he goin'…or de guy from de Lost Room dat don't know where de motel room will take 'im if he don' have a place in mind."

Billy rolled his eyes. "There you goes again, Grim, with your excu--"

Scott was the first to notice Billy's sudden quietness. He turned around. "Dad? What's wrong?"

Mandy, Penelope, and Grim then turned around. "Uh…Bill?" Mandy spoke up. "Are you okay?"

"I…can't…move…" Billy said, apparently frozen in place.

"What do you mean you can't move?" Mandy asked. "You were moving just fine less than a minute ago."

"I…can't explain it…I feel like I'm frozen or something…"

Grim tilted his skull with interest. He looked around for a moment to see if someone had secretly zapped Billy with a stun gun or shot him with a tranquilizer when suddenly he spotted a man in a suit on the street corner with a fist extended towards them. Suddenly, the man opened his palm.

Billy suddenly started walking…and smacked nose-first into Mandy, knocking her over.

"Frozen, my--" Mandy started, but Grim cut her off.

"Hey, who dat guy?"

Mandy shrugged. "How should I know?"

"I dunno, but I coulda sworn he had to do wit' Billy's sudden stopping."

The blonde mother raised an eyebrow. "Really?" She gestured Grim and her family to walk with her as she walked to the innocent-looking man. "Excuse me, may I ask you something?" she asked angrily.

The man looked at her with absolutely no change in his expression. "Now, that wasn't very polite, was it? But you may ask anyway."

"Did you…how should I put this…_freeze_ my husband?"

"If you mean I mentally told him to stop and he obeyed, then I am guilty as charged," the man replied.

This intrigued Mandy. "Hmm…interesting. I've been wanting to have that power over him for years. I still have to tell him to do things vocally." She extended her hand for a handshake. "The name's Mandy, by the way."

The man grinned and shook her hand. "The pleasure's all mine. My name's Derren. Derren Brown."


	2. Chapter 2

The continuation…continues…

Kefka and Sephiroth are owned by Square Enix. Everything else up to this point I believe have been disclaimed already, so what's the point of saying it all the time?

-2-

**Song: Slam Shuffle (Continued from last chapter)**

"Ooh! Are you puh-sychic or something?" Billy asked.

"No," Derren said, "but I can tell you that you're thinking of…absolutely nothing."

"Der…if you're not psychic, how did you knows that?"

"Because, my good chum, your expression and overuse of plurals give it away so easily."

"Over-what of who? So, cans yous reads my palm or somethings, Misters Bro--"

Derren did a gesture with his fingers and lips that resembled a zipper closing, and Billy shut up. He then turned to Scott. "Want to see something astonishing?"

"Sure."

"Then watch this." He put a hand on Billy's chest. "Do you feel that?"

Still unable to speak, Billy nodded.

Derren backed up, his hand not touching Billy anymore but still in the same position. "Do you feel that?" he repeated.

Billy nodded, which surprised Mandy at first, but she figured Billy was just being an idiot.

Suddenly, Derren threw a "punch". He didn't even touch Billy, but Billy fell to the ground, doubled over in pain.

Mandy went wide-eyed. "How did you do that?"

Derren shrugged. "Don't ask me exactly how the mind works. No one knows that. But just because nothing goes through your husband's mind doesn't mean he doesn't have one. I guess the only way to explain this would be that when your mind thinks it has been punched, it has been punched…like if you think you're sick and then you become sick." He turned to Grim. "Where did you come from?"

"Well, I come from de Underworld," Grim replied.

"Uh…let me rephrase. Where did this family come from?"

"Dey come from de United States. Why do you ask?"

"Okay. Would you like to try an experiment?"

"Uh…okay…sure."

Derren waved a hand in front of Grim's face. "Now, where is this family from?"

Grim looked puzzled. "Uh…uh… T'ink! T'ink! I know dis! I'm der everyday! Ugh…How do I not know dis?!"

"Strange, isn't it?"

"Yeah…very…"

Derren tapped him on the forehead. "Where is this family from?"

"Endsville. It's a small city in de United States." After a few seconds, Grim realized that what he had just forgotten a few seconds ago had just come back to him when he was tapped on the forehead. "Woah! Dat was cool!"

Mandy rolled her eyes. "Are you guys trying to pull a fast one on me?"

"$100."

"…Huh?"

"You have about $100 in your purse currently. Maybe a little more, maybe a little less, but definitely in that area, correct?"

Mandy looked in her purse and counted her money. She paused, her eyebrows raised. "$102.97." She shrugged. "Well, I'm convinced."

Grim looked at his hourglass. "Uh…we better get going. I gotta be in Mexico in a half an hour."

"What's so important about Mexico that you need to be there right away?" Scott asked.

"Yeah! Did someone die?" Penelope asked.

"People die all de time, Penelope," Grim said. "Whenever I get to it, Ill reap der souls. But dis is different. I'm on guard duty at a deceased villains jail under Cancun. Every fifty years for t'ree days I have ta guard it."

Mandy pondered for a moment. "Eh, we can look around later."

"But Mandy, it's t'ree days! Half of your vacation will be gone by de time I done!"

"Look, all we need to do is bring Scott with us; then he'll use the scythe to come back here and they can go do whatever. And if anything bad happens, I'll call Scott on his cell phone."

"Hey! Who said you were coming?"

"I did."

"Look, Mandy…it's a very deadly and dangerous place…"

"At least it won't be boring…"

"But you remember what happened when Scott got a hold of me scythe last time!"

Derren spoke up. "I'll be happy to make sure Scott doesn't misuse your…um…scythe, Mr. Reaper."

"…How'd you know I was de Grim Reaper? You must be really good at all dat mind stuff…"

"No, it was just pain-stakenly obvious," Derren replied.

-X-

**Song: Kefka**

A demon guard in the jail looked at his watch. "C'mon, Grim! Your shift started five minutes ago, and I don't want to put up with these guys much longer!"

"_What's the hurry?" _a high-pitched voice asked from behind the guard.

The guard turned to the cell behind him. "What's it to ya, clownface?"

The man in the next cell, with long gray hair and bangs, chuckled to himself.

"_Shut up, you emo punk!" _the clown shouted when he heard the chuckle on the other side of the stone wall that fortunately separated him from the long-haired man, and I said "fortunately" because if that wall wasn't there, the clown probably would've killed the long-haired man, despite him being already dead…but he'd probably find a way.

The clown turned back to the guard. _"Why do you idiots guard this place? If we wanted to, we'd get out easily, guard or no guard!"_

The long-haired "emo-punk", as the clown referred to him earlier, laughed harder. "Then why don't you bust out?" he asked.

The clown growled. _"Shut it, you sorry excuse for a villain!"_

"HEY!" the guard shouted. "Watch it, Kefka, or I'm throwing you in solitary!"

The long-haired man laughed again and started singing. "Kef-ka got in trou-ble…"

"…_Shut it, Sephiroth…"_


	3. Chapter 3

No comments? Whazzupwitdat?!

Heh heh…Just kidding. I don't usually comment on anything either, especially if I have no idea what to say.

Anyways, I don't own…blah blah blah blah blah.

-3-

**Song: Omen 2**

A portal appeared outside of the jail, and Grim, Mandy, and Derren appeared.

Derren read the huge sign in front of the jail. "_The Jail for Deceased Final Fantasy Villains_, hmm? Well, I'm glad I'm not going in there. Let's go, Scott."

"Aw, man! I want to see the villains!" Scott groaned.

"I would've agreed with you if I knew how to control that scythe. Now, let's go back to England. Billy and Penelope are waiting." He turned to Mandy and Grim. "Cheers," he said before Scott opened another portal and they left.

Just then, the guard appeared. "Oh, thank God! Here!" He gave Grim the keys. "They're your problem now."

Grim nodded and entered the building, Mandy in tow.

It wasn't long before they heard something that sent chills up their spines…

**Song: Kefka**

"_HATE! HATE! HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAATE!!!"_

Mandy went ahead toward the voice. She stopped in front of a cell with what appeared to be a clown inside it. What astonished her the most was the fact that he was so much different from the other villains that she saw on the way. The others were either dark, mysterious, and shadowy, or monstrous, gory, and muscular. This guy, however, was lively and wore colorful clothes. If anything, Mandy assumed that this clown-thing was the Billy of the group.

But what she didn't know was that, despite his bright and colorful appearance, he was truly the darkest of them all…

The clown-like man noticed the woman and stopped shouting. _"Oh. Hello. Who might you be?"_

"I might be the one to kick your butt if you backsass me."

Sephiroth, in the next cell, started chuckling again.

The two blondes ignored him. _"You've got quite a lip on you, but I wouldn't keep it up if I were you. You see these other Final Fantasy villains? They're all a bunch of emo posers and crybabies, but not me. I'm the only one here with a legacy." _He paused for a few seconds. _"You see that gray-haired punk in the next cell? 'Oh, I'm so great! I almost became a god! I'm so cool and the ladies love the almost almighty Sephiroth!" _The clown blew a raspberry before continuing. _"The only reason why he has more fans that me is 'cause Final Fantasy VII had better graphics! If those graphics were around when VI came out, no one would even KNOW the name Sephiroth! Everyone would be giddy for the one and only Kefka!"_

"Don't listen to that moron," Sephiroth said, finally getting Mandy's attention. "If he had half a brain, he would've used the Light of Judgment on the Returners before they killed him."

"_At least I got THAT far, you stupid ninny!"_

Mandy had enough. "Look, as far as I'm concerned, you two are nothing but has-been villains who look suspiciously like girls."

Kefka glared angrily at Mandy. Sephiroth, on the other hand, was laughing…until he realized she was talking about him, too. "I guess I am a stupid ninny…but at least I'm a better villain than you."

"…_Wha? I ruled the entire world for over a YEAR! I had a freakin' cult with a huge tower that pisses this author off every time he enters it! What the heck have you done…you know, besides killing __a__ girl? OOH! So villainous…"_

Sephiroth thought for a moment, and then said: "I've grown a fanbase."

Kefka rolled his blue eyes. _"Right… Anyways, my dear…what was your name again?"_

"Mandy."

"_Right. As I was saying, Manny…I see something in you. A fire, if you will."_

"A fire I learned to control long ago."

"_Have you, Manny? Or are you just hiding it?"_ He paused so his words would sink in. _"What do ya say, Manny? You look like the type that would love to get out of the rut of normality and enslave the earth. If you set me free, I'll let you rule with me."_

**Song: Esper World**

Grim, who really wasn't paying attention to the conversation until just now, tapped Mandy on the shoulder. "Don't let de guy fool ya, Mandy. I had to personally clean up de splattered mess dat used to be dis guy's emperor."

"_Gestahl was a fool! …Unlike you, Manny," _Kefka grinned.

Mandy bit her lower lip. Her thoughts were screaming! On the one hand, she had a decent life with a loving family--the only people who could stand being around her for more than five minutes without screaming bloody murder. She had a good job, good friends, and an overall good life.

But wasn't ruling the world her dream? Her life-long desire?

No. Her dream was to rule the world with Billy and Grim by her side, not this…Kefka person. And what if he tries to off her like he did Gestahl?

Mandy had a choice to make, and it was a monumental one…

…

…but she knew what she had to choose…


	4. Chapter 4

No reviews, eh? Well, either my fanfic is too boring to praise or too good to flame. To boost my self-esteem, I'll assume the latter.

I was actually hoping to see if anyone was going to guess what Mandy chose. Ah well. It doesn't matter because I'm going to post both scenarios anyway.

**If you think Mandy is going to free Kefka, keep on reading. Otherwise, go to the bold paragraph similar to this one in the middle of the chapter. If you just want to see what happens either way, go ahead and read both. Oh, and I only own Scott and Penelope blah blah blah, but that doesn't matter because they aren't actually IN this chapter. Mentioned, yes, but not in person…or whatever…**

-X-

**Song: Esper World (Continued from last chapter)**

"_Well, Manny? I'm waiting…"_ Kefka said, leaning his face forward, his nose pressed up against Mandy's face.

After a long pause and a deadly stare from Mandy, the blonde woman softened her expression. "Okay. But my name's Mandy, you idiot. Get it right."

**Song: Dancing Mad 2**

Grim gasped. "MANDY!" He couldn't believe what he heard.

Mandy walked over to a nearby hook, where the keys were hanging.

"MANDY!!!" Grim repeated, but Mandy didn't listen.

"Grim, tell my family…I'll spare them," Mandy said coldly as she unlocked Kefka's cell.

Sephiroth sat on his bed and pulled out a magazine from under it. "Boy, this will be fun…" he said sarcastically as he read it.

Kefka opened the cell by himself. _"You made the right choice, Mandy."_ He leaned toward her ear and whispered: _"For me, that is…" _With that, he pushed her to the ground. _"Never trust a villain, Mandy."_

Mandy looked up in shock. "You…lied to me."

"_Well, DUH-UH!!" _Kefka laughed as he hopped and danced his way out of the jail.

Sephiroth looked up from his magazine. "There goes the neighborhood…"

Grim looked at Mandy. "Kinda reminds me when you opened Pandora's lunch box."

"Don't remind me," Mandy scoffed. "You know what this means, right?"

"You've doomed us all?"

**Song: The Mines of Narshe**

"Not just that, Grim. Billy…Scott…Penelope…that Derren guy… They're goners…and it's all my fault…"

"Well den! Let's take de fight to Kefka!"

Sephiroth put down his magazine. "As much as I hate to admit it, the freak has a point about one thing: he's quite powerful. Not to mention he's killed so many people, and it took thirteen heroes with magic powers, plus a yeti, to defeat him, and they almost died."

"Boy, that…really boosts our self-esteem," Mandy said sarcastically.

"We need to contact Scott," Grim said. "He has me scythe."

"On it," Mandy said, dialing her cell phone. "I hope they're okay…"

-X-

**Thus ends scenario one in this two-scenario chapter. Consider this an intermission. Take a breather, get some popcorn, drink a soda or some juice or something. Go to the bathroom and let the dogs out. Then, come back here and read the second scenario. If you decided to skip the first scenario because you didn't want Mandy to team up with Kefka at all, then this is where your chapter actually starts. If you just wanted Mandy to team up with Kefka so she could have another chance at world-domination and don't think she would let go of such an offer, you may skip this and head on to the next chapter. Now, without further ado…scenario number two!**

-X-

**Song: Esper World (Continued from previous chapter)**

"_Well, Manny?"_ Kefka smirked as he inched his face closer to Mandy's, his nose pressed up against her face. _"I'm waiting…"_

A long pause followed as Mandy stared angrily at him. She eventually spoke up:

"Get your nose outta my face, you creep."

**Song: The Fanatics**

Kefka laughed. _"Such…FIRE in you! Or, should I say…Firaga?"_

"Fira-what?" Mandy asked before being tackled down by Grim. "What the--?"

Suddenly, a fireball came down from the ceiling to where Mandy was standing before Grim saved her. The blast created a hole in Kefka's bars.

"Oh…" Grim started.

"…crud…" Mandy finished.

Kefka's laugh became deeper and more evil as he danced his way out of his cell. _"You two are such IDIOTS!!!"_

Mandy twitched. "Idiots?"

Kefka sneered. _"Oh, yes. A mind as brilliant as mine looks down upon you imbeciles."_

"Oh, here we go," Sephiroth said, laying back on his bed and yawning.

"_Shut up, Mama's Boy!"_ Kefka ordered. He turned to Mandy and Grim. _"And you better stay here, or I'll deal with you personally…"_

"Don't you dare underestimate me," Mandy replied.

Kefka laughed once more as he left the prison. _"Tonight the world will be mine again! Uwee-hee-hee!"_

**Song: The Returners**

Mandy looked at Grim. "Any bright ideas?"

"Our best bet is de scythe," Grim replied. "Call Scott, provided dey're alright without your guidance."

Mandy nodded and flipped open her cell phone. "And if they're not?"

"Den we're all doomed…"

Sephiroth yawned. "Talk about a mood killer…"


	5. Chapter 5

The plot's just about to get good… And I DON'T OWN CRAP!!! (Except Scott and Penelope)

I also have some Final Fantasy VI pieces I've been working on and I may submit them the site soon. Maybe even tomorrow, though I probably will post one at a time.

-5-

**Song: Umaro's Theme**

Penelope whined. "C'mon! Let's go to Japan!"

Scott rolled his eyes. "I want to see Big Ben."

"We came here to see a fat guy?"

"NO! It's that clock tower over there!" Scott said, pointing to it.

"Oh… Well, there ya go! You saw it. Now LET'S GO TO JAPAN!!!"

Scott and Billy looked at each other with startled expressions. They turned to Derren. "Well?" Scott asked.

"Pardon?" Derren asked.

"I guess we're going to Japan. You coming?"

"Why would I, if you don't mind me asking?"

"'Cause none of us are trustworthy with the scythe," Scott confessed.

"Yeah," Billy added. "We needs a Mandy, but she's not here. Will you be our Mandy for now?"

"Uh…very well," Derren answered.

Billy gleamed, but then became stern. "Okay, but just because you're temporary Mandy doesn't mean you can kiss me or anything. I don't rolls like that."

"…I'll keep that in mind…"

-X-

**Song: The Gestahl Empire**

"Whoa!" Scott gasped as the family and Derren exited a portal in Tokyo. "Did Godzilla come through here?"

The entire street was destroyed. Ash was everywhere. Homes were decimated. There was no telling what happened to the people inside.

"What the heck happened here?" Billy asked.

Suddenly, a flash of light was seen in the distance.

"…You don't suppose that the light had anything at all to do with this catastrophe, do you?" Derren asked.

"How could light do THIS?" a shocked Scott replied.

Suddenly, a high-pitched voice was heard in the distance. _"Ahh, the sweet sound of thousands of voices screaming in unison… The only sound better would be nails on a chalkboard! Uwee-hee-hee!"_

Scott looked at the others. "It sounds like whoever shouted that is behind this, and he sounds like he's out of his mind."

Derren sighed. "Well, if he's out of his mind, how can I possibly get into his?"

"Who is this 'his', anyway?" Penelope asked.

Suddenly, Scott's cell phone rang. He answered it. "Hello? …Hey Mom. …What? …Come get you? …Emergency? …Quit repeating everything you say? …Okay, I'll be there ASAP!" He closed the phone. "Alright, Mom called. She says--"

"There's an emergency?" Derren finished.

"…WOW! You are good…"

-X-

**Song: Under Martial Law**

Seconds later, Billy, Scott, Penelope, and Derren appeared… in Sephiroth's cell.

Sephiroth was reading a magazine. Without looking up, he waved. "How's it going?"

Billy walked up to the bars. "Hey Mandy! In here!"

Mandy walked up to the cell. "About time you showed up."

"What's happening?" Billy asked. "We went to Japan and it was burnt like toast… but not in a good way!"

"Light of Judgment," Sephiroth answered before Mandy could open her mouth. "I wouldn't worry too much. I'm no expert, but that scythe is probably just as powerful as the twelve rebels that killed Kefka in the first place. Of course, I'm only guessing. Worth a shot, eh? Some magicite wouldn't hurt either, but don't ask me where any of that stuff is."

"Hmm…" Grim pondered. "I may have some magicite in me trunk. I came across some when I vacationed in anot'er dimension. Unfortunately, da tings must be at least a hundred years old! Will dey work?"

"I'm astonished," Derren said. "I have the ability to get inside people's heads and manipulate the human mind, and yet this is all way over my head…"

"Ditto," Mandy said monotonously.

Grim reached into the cell and took the scythe. He vanished into the portal, and reappeared minutes later. "Well, it ain't much, but it'll have to do." He handed Mandy a magicite. It started to glow. "Dis, if I remember correctly, is de magicite of Maduin. He's a real 'hot-head', so I'm sure it be up your alley."

Mandy was astonished by the glow, especially since Grim's wasn't glowing at all. Maybe it had to do with her being warm-blooded or something…

"What's yours?"

"Um…I believe it's Ragnarok, or at least I hope so. A little Ultima wouldn't hurt, would it? But for all we know, de scythe is all we need anyway."

"Good. Then let's go to Japan and kick some brightly-colored butt."

In a flash, the two were gone.

Billy, Scott, Penelope, and Derren looked at each other, now realizing they were left in the cell with Sephiroth. They turned to the gray-haired villain.

Sephiroth looked up. "So…who's up for a game of Old Maid?"

-X-

**Song: Catastrophe**

_ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT!!!_

That was an all-too-familiar sound in Tokyo.

Grim and Mandy appeared just in time to react to what was just about to happen in the neighborhood. Namely, the Light of Judgment.

Grim shielded Mandy and himself just in time as a blinding flash of light surrounded them. A long crack appeared, and parts of the city dipped below the ground. Cars began to fall into the abyss.

"Dis is not good," Grim mumbled.

"No, really?" Mandy snarled. "We need to find 'Kefka the Klown' before he lays waste to the entire city."

"Easier said dan done, mon," Grim replied. "We need a miracle… Bad…"


	6. Chapter 6

For those of you actually paying attention, I foreshadowed something in the last chapter. You may not know what it is yet, but you will at the end of this chapter…

-6-

**Song: What?**

"YAY!" Penelope held up the Queen of Spades. "I win!"

"…Actually, my new friend," Derren replied, "it means you lost. No worries, though. Losing does not make one a failure."

"Oh," Penelope mumbled. "Can I be a failure anyway? Being a success sounds hard."

-X-

**Song: From That Day On**

"Where can that freak be?" Mandy asked.

"Well, if history does tend to repeat itself, he'll be in a tower of debris," Grim explained. "Unfortunately, der's no Vector in dis day in age to create it. Who knows where de tower may be or what city he used to create it?"

"Looks like he's using Tokyo."

Grim shook his skull. "No, he ain't. If he was, der'd be not'ing left."

Suddenly, a harsh gust of wind blew past them. Cars, bricks, and debris started flying in the direction of the wind.

Grim's eye sockets widened. "C'mon, Mandy! We must follow dat debris! It may be being used ta make da tower!" He and Mandy hopped on the scythe like it was a witch's broom, and they headed east.

After about two-and-a-half hours, Grim spotted a large tower in the distance. "Hey Mandy! Dat must be it!"

Mandy's eyes widened. "Is…Is that what I think it is?"

Grim was in shock as well. "I don't believe it…"

As they closed in on the tower, they couldn't help but notice what was at the top: a water tower.

A water tower that was labeled "WB".

"Los Angeles!" Mandy gasped.

"Poor souls…"

"Don't tell me you're mourning the losses of the likes of Tom Cruise and Paris Hilton…"

"Of course not! …I'm mournin' de losses of REAL talent… like dat Horvitz guy… and dat Del-izzuhl lady… and especially…" His eyes watered. "…Greg Eagles! NOOOOO!!! He rocked in dat Metal Gear Solid game and now he gone for real!"

"…For real?"

"Uh…yeah…der was some rumors dat he died a long time ago… it was de Japanese guy, dough…or somet'ing…"

"O…kay…" Mandy said, confused. "Well, it's too late now, but we'll avenge them. Don't you worry. …Oh, and it's pronounced De-lyle. Like 'aisle'."

"Eh…whatever."

**Song: Magitek Research Facility**

After about ten minutes, they landed on the tower.

"I don' like dis one bit," Grim said, shaking.

"Me neither," Mandy whispered.

A large behemoth was awaiting them at the bottom of a stairwell.

Mandy took Grim's scythe and jumped down, planning to slice the creature's head off. Unfortunately, the behemoth wasn't stupid. He uppercut Mandy in mid-air, sending her back to the stairs.

"MANDY!!!" Grim shouted as Mandy hit the bottom steps with a sickening slam. The realization of the situation started to form in Grim's skull, which caused him to snap. He ran down the steps, jumped over a low punch the behemoth attempted to deliver, and grabbed his scythe. He used the scythe to turn the behemoth into a fly and swatted it easily.

The blonde woman started to stir. "Mandy! Are you alright?" Grim asked.

"I'm…alive…aren't I?"

Grim helped her up. "I'll be de judge of dat. C'mon! Der's no time ta lose!"

-X-

Due to the lack of above-ground monsters and magic these days (compared to the days of the espers), the height of the tower was more of a problem than the creatures, which Grim continued to turn into flies and swat them.

After about three hours of fly swatting, the two finally made it to a large door. It wouldn't budge.

**Song: Rest in Peace**

"Oh, great." Mandy sighed. "So close, and yet so far." She started to walk away.

"Don' give up, Mandy! It's not like you!" Grim said.

The blonde wasn't listening. She continued to walk away, not noticing that a tile on the floor dipped when she stepped on it.

The door flew open.

"Mandy! De door's open!"

Mandy turned around. "Well, that was convenient…"

**Song: Under Martial Law**

The two walked through the door and stepped up unto what used to be the studio they shot "Attack of the Show" at. Mandy and Grim almost bumped into the remote controls hanging from the ceiling.

On a nearby mountain of debris stood Kefka.

"_Welcome, friends! I knew you'd come, so I… blah blah blah…"_

Mandy growled. "How could you do this?"

"_Whatever do you mean? Is this not what you've always wanted to do?"_ Kefka asked.

"We all have our fantasies," Mandy said, "but that's all behind me. All that matters to me now is the ones I… love…" Her face softened.

Kefka laughed. _"You're…You're kidding! Am I being Punk'd? You sound JUST LIKE HER!!!"_ His voice suddenly turned falsetto: _"'Oh! Sure, everything gets destroyed eventually, but we can always rebuild, and new lives can be born because the world is full of love and' blah blah blah!"_ he scoffed, his voice turning to normal… or at least normal for him. _"Seriously, am I missing something here? What's the point? You're all going to die, and when you do, NOTHING you've ever done will matter! ABSOLUTELY NOTHING!!!! What's the point of it all?!!!"_

"You know what?" Mandy replied. "I used to think the exact same thing."

"_Yes…we are very much alike, aren't we? Well…except for the fact that I haven't softened,"_ Kefka cackled.

**Song: Metamorphosis**

This only made Mandy angry. She growled loudly. She didn't know what drove her to say it, but suddenly the word "Firaga" escaped her lips. Without warning, a fireball slammed Kefka into the wall.

"WHOA!!!" Grim gasped. "De magicite actually worked!"

Mandy looked at her hands. "It…wasn't the magicite, Grim… I…I dropped it in the Pacific Ocean when we were on our way here."

Grim was struck with confusion. "…Den…how did you…?"

**Song: Dancing Mad 4**

Kefka got up. _"I…I knew I recognized that fire… that power… the drastic change from being a girl with no knowledge of love into becoming a goody two-shoes 'save the world from the psycho clown so your loved ones can live' woman…"_ He looked straight into Mandy's eyes, and Mandy looked straight into his. She couldn't help but noticed that his usual blissful insanity seemed to have disappeared, and all that was left were soft, almost normal eyes. _"You're a descendant of Terra."_

Mandy's eyes widened. "Wh-what?"

"_Mandy…you're an esper…"_


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: FINALLY!!! I'm updating.**

**I was asked what an esper was. Well, I'm not good at explaining things, but in Final Fantasy VI there were creatures of different appearances and abilities called espers, who unlike humans had the power to use magic. At the end of the game, magic (and therefore, espers) disappeared from the world, but who's to say that those espers didn't simply end up in another dimension and can't find their way back? That's basically one of the themes in this fic.**

**As for Mandy, this is probably just for this fic only, since (usually) nothing in the Billy and Mandy universe ever has any sort of continuum. In this fic, Mandy is a descendant of Terra Branford, one of the main characters of Final Fantasy VI, who was half-human and half-esper.**

**I hope I explained enough, and thank you for reading.**

-7-

**Song: Catastrophe**

"I'm a… what?" Mandy asked, shocked.

"Dat's impossible!" Grim shouted. "De espers are all gone! Dey left dis plain of existence long ago!"

"_Exactly!" _Kefka replied. _"But that doesn't mean they can't find their way back. After all, I did, didn't I?"_

"True… and dat would explain how Mandy could summon meteor showers in de Game Boy game and how her smile used to be able to alter de entire universe in some way."

Kefka studied Mandy, using his magic to keep her at bay. _"Coming into contact with the magicite must've strengthened her magic. …Say, how did you obtain magicite, anyway?"_

Grim shrugged. "Some just appeared in me trunk a few months after your fall… which would furt'er prove your theory, wouldn't it?"

"_Yeah, I suppo--"_

"Grim, why aren't you attacking him?" Mandy asked.

"Oh. Whoops! Got a little side-tracked." The skeleton attempted to zap Kefka with the scythe, but Kefka side-stepped out of the way. _"Nice try," _he said as he drained the energy out of Grim. He raised his arm, causing Grim to float in mid-air. Grim then was thrown into a wall by an invisible force.

Kefka turned to Mandy. _"We seem to have reached an understanding, haven't we?"_

Mandy, who was now terrified, nodded.

The villain smirked. _"Good." _ He lifted her face up to meet his. _"Y'know… If you want, I can make you my general."_

Mandy's expression changed drastically. She spit in his face.

Kefka wiped his face off non-chalantly. _"The only thing keeping you alive is the fact that I like your style."_

Grim got up and grabbed his scythe. He took a good look at his surroundings. "I'll come back for ya, Mandy! I'll get help!" He made a portal and left.

Kefka shook his head. _"Don't get your hopes up, my blond friend." _He stopped for a moment. _"…You know why I wanted to make you my general?" _Mandy, still held back by his magic, shook her head. _"Because you remind me of three. Three that I know very well, and it's not just 'cause you're blond either. First of all, you remind me of a young General Leo Christophe. You're strong, you take pride in the ones you love, and before this whole thing's over, I'm probably going to have to kill you." _Kefka's grin went wider with those last words, making Mandy twitch. _"Second, you remind me of a young General Celes Chére. You're tough, you're cold as ice, and in another time and another place we probably could've even become… friends." _He twitched himself when saying that last word. _"But, also like Celes, due to recent events… I hate you more than life itself. And last, but certainly not least…" _He paused, probably to add tension. It was working. _"…You remind me of a young General Kefka Palazzo." _Mandy twitched again. _"Face it. You're crazy. You're insane. And don't tell me you haven't stopped dreaming about destroying the planet. Trust me… when you start getting dreams like that… they don't go away easily…"_

-X-

**Song: What?**

"You have any threes, Sephiroth?" Derren asked.

"How…how did you know?"

"When Scott asked Billy for threes, you had a look of relief on your face," Derren replied.

Sephiroth's eyebrows rose with curiosity. "He's good," he said to himself.

**Song: From That Day On**

Suddenly, a portal appeared. All eyes lit up… until they realized Grim was alone.

"Where's Mandy?" Billy asked.

Grim hung his skull low. "I know I may get in huge trouble wit' de Underworld Court for dis, but it would be better den letting de world be destroyed…" He looked up at Billy. "Or…more innocent lives be lost."

Billy had a look of horror on his face. "She's…she's not dead…is she?"

"Not to my knowledge," Grim said. He turned to Sephiroth. "I know a villain's promise means nothing, but please promise me dat if I free you temporarily, you will only help us and den come straight back here."

Sephiroth looked at the others, and then back at Grim. "On one condition…"

"And dat would be…?"

"Put the clown in solitary when we bring him back. I hate having him for a neighbor. I'd rather have a Cid for a neighbor than that guy…"

"But will we be enough?" Scott asked.

"Yeah! There's strength in letters!" Penelope shouted.

…

"I think she means numbers," Derren explained.

"But, who in der right minds would help us?" Grim asked.

Scott grinned. "We have a pretty good idea…"

"But dey could be dead! We don' know exactly how much Kefka destroyed! Heck, Kefka could've probably killed everybody in dis dimension by now!"

Scott tilted his head, an insane look appearing on his face. "Who said anything about _dis_ dimension?"


	8. Chapter 8

**Look up in the sky! It's a bird! It's a plane! No! It's… Super Pig!**

…

**Yeah, it's an inside joke among people you don't know. Forget I said anything.**

**(Saving the world one oink at a time…)**

**Anyways, here's the next chapter. I own Scott and Penelope. 1wilson1 owns Will and Rose. If you're still reading this, you should know by now who owns the rest of them. Also, Mandy's flashback is from Billy and Mandy's Big Boogie Adventure.**

…**Yes, I know this chapter's short.**

-8-

**Song: Gau's Theme**

Mandy looked out her cell window. Kefka had her thrown in his jail, which turned out to be part of the former Mind of Mencia set. She could've sworn those puppets were watching her every move.

A million thoughts raced through her mind at once. Did Grim make it back? Is my family okay? What'll become of them? Of me? Of this world?

She turned to a nearby mirror. Looking at her own reflection not only reminded her of her humanity, but also of something that happened almost two decades ago…

-X-

"Aw… did you ladies lose your mascot? That's a crying shame!"

Those words stung Mandy, but she hid it. _'And I thought I was heartless,' _she thought.

Irwin was crying over what happened, not listening to her like usual. No matter how many times she told Irwin that Billy was fine, Irwin kept crying.

Mandy spoke one more time. "Billy's… always fine…" At this point, she had no idea who she was trying to convince: Irwin or herself.

She looked into the water. Every memory of Billy flooded her mind. _'Why Billy?' _she thought, wiping away a tear. _'Why not me?'_

-X-

Mandy continued to look at her reflection with that same sad look she had twenty years ago. When she finally turned away, she never looked back at it. The memories were too painful.

Mandy… feeling pain?

That's when she realized just how human she really was.

Or esper. Or whatever. She didn't know what to think anymore.

-X-

**Song: Dancing Mad 1**

A blonde boy sat in his chair with his hands folded in his lap. "Scott. Penelope. What a surprise. I haven't seen the two of you in a while." He tilted his head slyly. "I see thou have visitors as well."

"Oh, God… not the 'thou' thing…" Sephiroth groaned. "It's a good thing Gau's not here, or he'd have a field day."

"Something bad is happening in our world and in our time," Scott explained. "The universes are linked. If our's goes, your's goes! We need your help!"

The blonde leaned back on his chair. "So, what thou are trying to say is that the powerful, cunning, and devilishly handsome William Poe is to offer his services to two kids, an oaf, a less-powerful version of my grandfather, a British man, and a guy with frighteningly long hair… for NOTHING?!" He stood up and hissed. "That may work on my cousin, but it certainly won't work on me, Scotty."

"Oh crud," Grim, Penelope, and Billy said simultaneously as Scott started to fume.

Derren and Sephiroth looked at each other in confusion. "Do you know why they're 'oh-cruding'?" Sephiroth asked.

"Apparently, the bugger's mad. I wonder if it's because he was called 'Sco--"

"DON'T SAY IT!!!" Billy, Grim, and Penelope shouted at the same time.

Scott was about to deliver a "crotch-shot" to Will, but Will blocked it. "Nice try. If thou really want help, ask the rest of my family. And if I do help out, it'll be MY own decision, and on MY own terms. Got it?"

Still fuming, Scott nodded and walked up to the group. "C'mon, guys. Let's ask Rose instead. At least SHE has a heart."

As they disappeared through a portal, Will sat down. "That kid's got guts. A shame he has a soul to go with it…"


	9. Chapter 9

**(Insert Witty Banter Here)**

**Scott and Penelope are owned by me. Billy, Mandy, and related characters are owned by Maxwell Atoms. Kefka and related characters, as well as the "music", are owned by Square Enix. Rose and related characters are owned by 1wilson1.**

**-X-**

**Song: Aria di Mezzo Caraterre**

That night, Mandy was once again looking out the window. Thoughts of Billy continued to flood her mind.

"I'm the darkness," Mandy whispered. "You're the starlight…"

"Shining brightly from afar," a voice sang behind her. She turned around and saw a large group of spirits (she ended up counting fourteen). Two of them walked forward. The first – the one that finished Mandy's sentence – was a blonde with a flowing white cape. The second was a green-haired woman with a gentile smile. The twelve spirits behind them were of a king, a monk, a thief (I mean, "treasure hunter"), a ninja, a small white creature, a yeti, a gambler, an old man, an artist, a samurai, a robed figure, and a man wrapped in monster hides.

"…Who are you?" Mandy asked with curiosity.

The green-haired woman put a hand on Mandy's shoulder. "Don't give up, Amanda. Don't lose hope." Then they disappeared, leaving Mandy alone in the cell.

Only, she wasn't really alone…

-X-

**Song: Mog's Theme**

"So…where are we now?" Sephiroth asked.

"Ohio," Scott replied. "If the settings on the scythe are correct, this should be the home of the son of Death… and more importantly, the granddaughter of Death."

"Granddaughter?" Grim asked. "In Ohio?"

Scott knocked on the door. A tall skeleton with a small tuft of brown hair opened the door. His one pupil dilated with surprise. "Oh! Scott! Penelope! And… Dad?"

"Actually, I'm de Grim from der dimension," Grim explained. "Seriously, d'ough… OHIO?!"

Scott continued. "We need some help in our dimension. This freaky clown thing has my Mom and he wants to _**DESTROY US ALL!!!!"**_ Scott clasped his hands around his mouth. Where the heck did THAT come from?

"Of all de tings to inherit from your fat'er, why did it have ta be dat?" Grim groaned.

Grim Junior nodded. "I understand. You need my little Rose's help. Please, come in."

As the group entered the house, Scott wiped his tongue with his shirt.

-X-

**Song: Omen 2**

Will cracked his neck. He was thinking about the offer Scott made. He looked at his palms and studied them. "I could use a challenge." He looked from one palm to the other. "I could prove my greatness. I can prove to them all that I'm no push-over…"

He leaned forward in his chair. "I can show them all that even my cousin isn't worth the honor of kissing the dirt I walk on."

He stood up and grinned. "I think it's about the right time to take action. Whoever is causing them woe will be incapacitated by midnight tomorrow, or my name is not William Poe!"

-X-

**Song: Omen 1**

Kefka stood on a mountain of debris above the tower. He stared into the moonlight. _"Death to them all, for all I care. As long as I am almighty, nothing else matters to me."_

The wind blew casually by him. At one point, Kefka thought he heard his name. He looked around. _"Must be the wind," _he said.

"_**Kefka…"**_

That time, he knew he heard it. He turned around. _"G-Gestahl?"_

"_**A mere apparition. Kefka, a new group of Returners is being formed as we speak. As your victim, I will not help you, but as your old friend, I have warned you."**_

Kefka nodded. _"I know. No one in their right minds would take me on alone."_

"_**Well, there's one stubborn sub-human that's not in his right state of mind. Keep an eye out for him. He may even be more insane than you."**_

"_IMPOSSIBLE!!!" _Kefka shouted maniacally. _"…But I will, Gestahl. This must be important if you were to contact me from the grave after I killed you."_

"_**Don't remind me," **_the long-bearded ex-emperor said. He disappeared in a flash.

"_Someone more insane than me?" _Kefka asked himself. _"Intriguing…I wonder who he may be…"_


	10. Chapter 10

**Welcome, my friends, to the thrilling, chilling, and… most likely disappointing second-to-last chapter of the fanfic. Hopefully it doesn't disappoint you TOO much. Not a lot of action (mostly talk, as most RPGs are anyway), but it's better than the rough draft of this chapter. Muuuuuuuch better.**

**By the way, the "Other Grim" and the "Other Mandy" are from the Grim Tales universe, which are where Rose, Grim Jr., Her, and Will are from. I don't own any of them. I'm not telling you who owns what (do the frickin' research, ya lazy bums), but I will say that the characters are owned either by Bleedman, 1wilson1, or Maxwell Atoms (technically, he does own Mandy and Grim… but then again, does he really own Grim? I mean, the Grim Reaper IS more public domain than anything… ah screw it).**

**-X-**

**Song: The Fanatics**

A portal appeared on the AOTS stage in Kefka's Tower II three hours after the insane clown-like monster had talked with his former emperor. Out stepped Scott, who had an evil smirk on his face. He was followed by Penelope, Billy, Grim, Derren, Sephiroth, Rose, Grim Jr., Her, the other Grim, and the other Mandy (whom Billy kept ogling).

Kefka appeared in the room with a flash of light. He looked different this time: his skin was purple, he was dressed in long ribbons, and he had wings on his back.

"Ugh! Put some clothes on!" the other Mandy groaned in disgust.

"_I could say the same thing," _Kefka replied. He laughed. _"How ironic! Here I am in my tower once again fighting twelve heroes! It brings back such beautiful memories…" _he sobbed sarcastically.

**Song: Esper World**

Scott growled, but suddenly became confused. "Twelve? There are only eleven of us!"

Kefka laughed again. _"Plus one makes twelve, does it not?"_

A pyramid-shaped prism appeared from above. Inside it laid an unconscious blonde boy.

"Will?!" Rose gasped. This… thing… was tougher than she thought.

"_Snappy dresser, I'll give 'im that,"_ Kefka smirked. _"What's this?" _he asked, now recognizing the gray-haired man. _"Sephiroth! You actually wanted to stop me? …How am I not surprised? Huh…You always were jealous…"_

Sephiroth growled. "Of what? Some loony who couldn't even get into a Kingdom Hearts game?"

Kefka snapped his fingers.

"Wh-What'd you just do?" Sephiroth asked.

"_I destroyed Square Enix for not putting me in a Kingdom Hearts game. Now, where were we…? Ah, yes! Your demise…"_

Scott turned to the others. "Listen, guys… I don't care how good or evil you are. We need to work together if we want to beat him."

Rose agreed. "Scott's right. We'll need to make some sort of plan, though. Any ideas?"

Derren nodded. "I've got one."

Meanwhile, Will started to stir. He looked down at Kefka. "Hey… Clown Face… put some pants on, you freak…"

That got Kefka's attention. _"UWEE-HEE-HEE!!! You just don't know when to quit, do you, my formally-dressed friend?"_

"You are no friend of mine," Will replied.

"_Aw, come now… Will, was it? Lighten up! Enjoy your last seconds on this pitiful planet!"_

**Song: Dancing Mad 5**

Sephiroth pulled out his Masamune. "Let's shut the clown up once and for all."

"_Oh! You think that butter knife scares me? HA! I laugh at your stupidity!" Kefka_ shouted.

"It's not him you should be afraid of," a voice said behind him. He turned around. _"Manny! What a pleasant surprise!"_ Kefka exclaimed. _"But how did you escape? I made sure the bars were fire-proof!"_

"I had some help," Mandy replied.

Kefka looked at the group, which was huddled up for some odd reason, and then at Will, who was still trapped in the pyramid. _"There's no way they could've rescued you! They were here the whole time!"_

Suddenly, fourteen spirits appeared behind Mandy. Spirits that Kefka knew too well.

"_No! No way!"_ Kefka shouted. Then he growled. _"The next time you die, STAY DEAD!!!" _he shouted, gesturing toward the fourteen ghosts. They were flung towards the wall.

"Excuse me, Mister…Palazzo, was it?" Derren asked, walking up to him. "Would you like to partake in an experiment?"

Kefka's eyebrows rose. _"…Okay. I'll humor you. What?"_

Derren put a hand on Kefka's leg. "Feel that?"

"_Yeah."_

Derren backed up a few steps. "How about now?"

"_Uh…y-yeah…"_ Kefka said, confused. The guy wasn't even touching him! And he was a mere human! How could Kefka still feel his hand?

Derren waited a few seconds, and then pretended to punch him.

"_YAAAAAHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!" _Kefka cried, holding his leg as if a concrete slab just hit his leg. His concentration on Will's prism left him, and Will was free.

The fourteen ghosts regrouped and continued their attack on Kefka. It was tough to attack the demonic figure when they were alive, but this seemed to be a piece of cake! Of course, before they had to deal with a towering abomination of creatures beforehand. Plus, this was twenty-seven-on-one instead of four-on-one.

"_Get away!" _Kefka shouted when he finally was able to free himself from the spirits' onslaught. In desperation, he performed Heartless Angel on them, and they fell to the ground.

Grim spoke up. "Hey, Kefka! Ya wanna know why we were huddled up?"

"_Why?"_ Kefka asked, now slightly worried that history would repeat itself.

"We were memorizing an old spell." He took a quick pause. "ULTIMA!"

"_Uh-oh…"_ Kefka gulped.

"ULTIMA!" Scott and Penelope shouted.

"ULTIMA!" Rose, the other Grim, and the other Mandy shouted.

The fourteen spirits mustered all their strength in order to stand behind the group. "ULTIMA!!!" they cried, already knowing the spell by heart.

"_Crud!"_ Kefka twitched. _"That many Ultimas could be bad…"_

The next thing Kefka knew, he was under a pile of rubble, and too weak to fight.

Sephiroth and Will walked up to the fallen Kefka. "Seriously?" Sephiroth asked. "That's all it took?"

"What a wimp," Will stated.


	11. Chapter 11

**And now, the moment you've all been waiting for: the last chapter!!!**

**(Various People: FINALLY!! It's over!)**

**I only own Scott and Penelope. If you're too lazy to look at previous chapters and see the disclaimers, that's your problem. Don't go off reporting me for not having a disclaimer because if you can take the time out of your "busy" schedule to do that, you have plenty of time to look at a previous chapter or two for disclaimers.**

**Another thing I'd like to add: just like in the actual show, continuation doesn't seem to exist. If I decide to write any more adventures for Scott and Penelope, I probably won't say anything about Mandy being part esper.**

**And now, for the grand finale… which is a song I probably should've put in here somewhere, but I didn't. Ah well…**

**-X-**

**Song: Balance is Restored 1**

"There's one thing I don't understand," Scott said as he, Grim, and Will threw the injured Kefka in solitary confinement at the jail, which surprisingly had no other breakouts despite there being no guard. "If the espers and magic left the world, how is Mom here? How am I here?"

Grim shrugged. "I dunno. It's probably Eris' doing. Anything to stir up some chaos." He turned to Will. "Well, I guess it's time for you and your family to go back to your own dimension."

Billy, who was still ogling the other Mandy, whined. "Do they have to?"

Mandy (Billy's wife; I say that so no one gets confused) smacked Billy upside the head. "Men…"

"One thing before I go," Will said as he walked up to the fourteen spirits of the heroes that defeated Kefka once before. He took the hand of a certain painter. "Greetings, milady. Wouldst thou wish for me to escort you back to the afterlife?"

The events that followed the simple question caused Will to wish he hadn't taken such a risk. The eldest spirit lifted his rod in anger. The masked assassin brought out a few shurikens (I hope I spelled that right) from a pouch. A low growl was heard from the man in monster hides. And finally, the samurai and the king muttered to themselves: "Did he just mock me?"

Despite the tension that surrounded her, the painter didn't even flinch. She tilted her head. "Sure! And afterwards, maybe I could paint your picture."

Will was confused, but he agreed. "Okay."

The king turned to his brother. "Should we tell him?"

"Nah," the monk laughed. "I couldn't. He reminds me too much of you."

Rose walked over to Scott. "Well…good luck…you know…with the rebuilding."

"What rebuilding? What did he destroy besides Tokyo and LA?" Scott asked.

"I think Toronto."

Scott rolled his eyes.

"Hey, if you ever need any help again, feel free to ask," Rose said cheerfully.

Scott nodded. "Well, I think Penelope and I need a new babysitter. Our last one got his butt handed to him by my Mom."

Rose laughed. "Alright. Bye, Scott!" She and her family disappeared in a flash, along with the spirits.

Grim chuckled. "Well, I'm glad t'ings are back to normal."

Sephiroth rolled his eyes from behind his cell's bars. "Or at least as normal as things get around here."

Grim shook his head and looked at Scott. "Are…are you blushing?"

"Shut up."

**-X-**

**Song: The Awakening**

Later that night, Mandy was in the bathroom looking at the mirror. "An…esper?" she asked herself. "That…does explain a lot… but… that also makes things different…"

She felt a tap on her shoulder. She turned around to find the green haired woman, who proceeded in giving her a hug (surprisingly, Mandy did nothing to break free). "You did it, Amanda."

"But… I didn't do anything. It was Grim and Billy and…"

"No. You did it. You lived through it." The green haired woman smiled. "And you'll live through this. You're strong in your willpower. I should know." She then disappeared.

Mandy stood frozen for a few seconds. "I had two kids with the most hopeless person on the face of this Earth. …I think I can live with being an esper…"

**-X-**

**GAU: UWAAAAOOOOOOOOO!!!! EPIL…EP…END TIME!!! OOOOOOOO!!!**

**Song: The Returners**

"Cool! So we're, like, espers now?" Penelope asked.

"Eh, sort of. It gets diluted after a while," Scott replied. "And since you're more like Dad, you probably won't have powers anyway."

"Aw…"

"Besides, Grim got rid of the magicite anyway, so for now we're for the most part magic free. Darn. I wanted to use Ultima on Greps."

"What about Derren?"

"What about him?"

"Will we ever see him again?"

"Maybe. Probably. I don't know."

"Will we have another adventure?"

"I don't know, Penelope…"

"Will we--?"

"I DON'T LIKE ROSE!! SHUT UP!!!"

"…"

"…"

"…"

"...So… how about that weather we're having, Penelope?"


End file.
